Business Sold to Publicly Traded Strategic Buyer

Stevenson & Company completes the sale of CDW Merchants

Result: Business Sold to Publicly Traded Strategic Buyer
Industry: Services – Marketing Services Company

Stevenson & Company completed the sale of CDW Merchants, headquartered near Chicago, IL, to Bunzl Specialty Retail North America, a subsidiary of Bunzl plc, an $8.5 billion UK based distribution group supplying a broad range of non-food consumable products.

Founded in 2006, CDW Merchants became a leader in providing innovative visual merchandising solutions and packaging products to the Specialty Retail and E-commerce retailing markets. Its customer base includes many of the top consumer and e-commerce brands throughout the United States. Using aggressive strategic planning, the company enjoyed strong growth by expanding its business model and expertise into new market segments.

Stevenson & Company was retained when CDW Merchants began looking to expand even further on a global scale. They sought a strategic partner that could assist with their global growth strategy. Critical to the success of the transaction was Stevenson’s ability to confidentially manage the entire process from start to finish, allowing CDW’s executive team to focus on the continued growth of their business. This enabled CDW to surpass their projected forecast and deliver increased value for both seller and buyer.

The acquisition allows Bunzl to bring a new, innovative platform and business model to its Specialty Retail operations and expand its merchandising services platform globally. Significant cross-selling opportunities exist by leveraging Bunzl’s complementary client base and CDW Merchants’ creativity in visual merchandising solutions.

Courtney Wright, CEO of CDW Merchants commented: ”I was extremely pleased with Stevenson’s guidance throughout the sale process, which turned out far more complex than I realized. Stevenson provided the insight and counsel I needed – and allowed me to stay focused and engaged in my business to deliver on my promises, maximize my shareholder value in the transaction, and my experience overall.”